Herceptin is approved for the treatment of early-stage breast cancer that is Human Epidermal growth factor Receptor 2-positive (HER2+). See more about HER2+ breast cancer here.

Patients are selected for therapy based on an FDA-approved test for Herceptin.

Treatment with Herceptin generally lasts for 1 year unless side effects become unmanageable

Herceptin is only given as an intravenous (IV) infusion.* There are 3 ways Herceptin can be used:

• As part of a treatment course including the chemotherapy drugs doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, and either paclitaxel or docetaxel. This treatment course is known as "AC➝TH"

• With the chemotherapy drugs docetaxel and carboplatin. This treatment course is known as "TCH"

• Alone after treatment with multiple other therapies, including an anthracycline (doxorubicin)-based therapy (a type of chemotherapy)

Your doctor will recommend the appropriate treatment option for you.

*There is also a formulation with trastuzumab available that can be given under the skin instead of intravenously.

Available dosing options are:

• With chemotherapy: When you are taking Herceptin together with chemotherapy, you will receive Herceptin once a week

• After chemotherapy: When you are taking Herceptin after surgery and completion of chemotherapy, you may receive Herceptin either every 3 weeks OR once a week

Your doctor will determine whether weekly treatment or treatment every 3 weeks with Herceptin is right for you.

Your healthcare team will monitor your heart so that potential side effects from Herceptin can be seen early and properly treated. Your doctor will check for signs of heart problems before, during, and after treatment with Herceptin.

Heart monitoring means you will get a medical test every few months with a scan that shows if your heart function has changed since starting Herceptin. Your heart function will be tested with an echo^† or MUGA^‡ scan.

Talk to your doctor about which signs and symptoms you may see while taking Herceptin.

^†An echo scan is an ultrasound image of the heart; also called an “echocardiogram.”
^‡MUGA scan is a commonly used test that takes a moving picture of your heart pumping blood. It requires an injection of a nontoxic radioactive substance.

^§Charts describe what is recommended. You and your healthcare team will decide on the heart-monitoring schedule that works for you.

Get more information about the side effects of Herceptin that could be signs of heart problems.

Discover how Herceptin targets specific proteins on cells to fight cancer.